Little Fern Things

Sometimes There are just little moments you want to freeze in time…little things you want to remember, and with Fern it seems there are about  million of those moments happening on a daily basis. She is working over time to learn everything she can about the world around her and she is a a quick study. She wants so badly to be a “big kid” and to be able to do all the things big kids can do and she is slowly but surely (though still far too quickly for my mama heart) making her way towards the goal. And even though she is still little, she is getting bigger and I just want to treasure all of these tiny little memories.

So…from time to time I will be writing about them here. This blog is like a little memory book for me, but sometimes I am writing so much that I forget to write down the truly important things that I really want to remember.

Here are a few…

The other day Fern wore this headband ALL DAY. It was seriously a miracle. While she loves putting things on her head, she also loves taking things off of her head with equal vigor. This little headband really struck her fancy though, because all morning long she kept running over to check herself out in the mirror and would get the biggest grin on her face. It was as though she were basking in her own loveliness, and I kind of love that. While I don’t want her to be self-centered or a narcissist, I really would love it if she grew up with a strong sense of self-appreciation. I know that this is something that fades as children get older and become insecure about themselves, but this is something that I hope and pray for her. You are a beauty my sweet Fern…in so many ways.

Fern adores all furry creatures…and even those who aren’t so furry. She just LOVES animals! I know that a lot of little ones have a love of animals, but I can’t help but wonder if her love is just a bit more pronounced? Sometimes it’s hard to know what developments are “Fern things” and which ones are just “toddler things”, but nonetheless, I love her animal enthusiasm. This is her little “cousin” Greta; she belongs to Fern’s “Unc and Ahh-tee” (AKA Auntie). Fern calls her “Puh-pee Geh-tuh”. It’s real cute. I love hearing her pronounce words. It’s one of my most favorite things. The other day I made a list of my favorites over at Disney Baby, but I wanted to have them recorded here, because I never want to forget them. Here are a few of my favorite Fern pronunciations…

“Wah-fuhs” – Waffles

“Ah-puh” – Apple

“Baf” – Bath

“Muh-nah-nuh” – Banana

“Mah-yee” – Marley (our dog)

“Peese” – Please

“Wah-duh” or “Wah-tuh” – Water

“Bah” – Bar (as in a granola bar)

“Chi-chens” – Chickens

“Damma” – Grandma

“Mih-tee” – Mickey

“Ahh-dun” – All done (always used as a single word)

“Pah-tuh” – Pasta

“Fit-it” – Fix it (two-word phrase used as one word)

“Ree-dit’ – Read it (another two-word phrase commonly used as a single word)

“Puh-pull” – Purple

“Beh-fess” – Breakfast

“Ah-may” – Her friend Alomae

“Wah-dun” – Wagon

“Pid” – Pig

“Muh-tee” – Monkey

“Hummush” – Hummus

Fern is always on the move and will rarely sit still for more than a moment (unless it involves watching “The Mickey Mouse Club House” in which case all bets are off). Boys tend to be a bit busier than girls at this age, but I think I got a pretty busy girl and people are always commenting on it. Not in a negative way though. For all her busyness though she is a very easy going kid. She is super self-entertained and will play by herself over playing with Craig or myself any day. Every morning she plays in her room once she wakes up for at least a half hour, but often even longer. She is also generally happy and friendly and doesn’t have huge mood swings. Sure she is cranky sometimes, but then again, so am I! Usually she is very even-tempered and doesn’t get phased by much – she’s super flexible and even when she gets hurt she barely even registers it as a blip on her radar. Off to explore within just a few moments. The other day we took her to The Screen Door for brunch (best chicken & waffles in Portland) and she was so well behaved that strangers complimented us on what a lovely child we had.  I am so thankful for her sweet disposition.

And then there’s this. Fern is just starting to learn about feelings and happy is her favorite obviously. I love this cheesy little grin she flashes for us when we ask if she’s happy. Sometimes if she’s upset and we ask her if she’s happy though, she’ll reply “No, no, no, nooooo!”, so I think she’s definitely starting to understand it. She loves walking about saying “happy, happy, happy, happy” and sometimes even turns it into a song.

Which reminds me…this girl absolutely LOVES to sing. She sings all day long and she knows quite a few songs at this point. She can hum and half-sing the words to all of these songs: (“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “Frère Jacques”, “Jesus Loves Me”, “It’s a Small World”, “Old MacDonald”, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and at least 5-10 others that I can’t remember right now). She picks up a tune like nothing I’ve seen. Sometimes I’ll sing a song and within a couple times of hearing it, she’s humming right along with me. Singing is her happy place. She sings when she is happy to express her joy and she sings when she is sad to comfort herself (we’ve heard her crying to the tune of “It’s a Small World” on multiple occasions – and it’s equal parts funny and sad).

I love all the little things about my Fernie girl. Even though she is slowly creeping into a bit of toddler defiance, it’s worth it for every ounce of loveliness that she shares with us.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Love and little things,

Lauren